Method and integrated circuit for boosting a voltage
US6724240B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 1, 2002 |
| Grant date | Apr 20, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 1, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH02M3/075
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and an integrated circuit for boosting a voltage are disclosed. A two-stage charge pump is used and has switches and capacitors. Known charges pumps can be single-stage or multi-stage and can achieve only a doubling of the input voltage in practice, depending on the configuration of the switches and capacitors and whereby each stage is provided with a separate drive. An improved two-stage charge pump can triple the input voltage and is advantageously achieved. N-type field effect transistors that are embedded in the substrate of an integrated circuit are utilized as the switches. It is further provided that a second series pass transistor is driven at its bulk terminal and/or its gate by a capacitor and a level shifter. This advantageously obviates the need to expand the width of the additional series pass transistor.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.